


The Pro and Cons of Breathing

by SyntacticSugar



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IIV: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, First Order, Force Bond (Star Wars), Hypothermia, Resistance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-05 17:01:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14048790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyntacticSugar/pseuds/SyntacticSugar
Summary: A thick tent, a large floor blanket and a thermal blanket covering Rey, with her fully clothed — it just was not enough - as her teeth rattled. She wished the wind didn't run though the broken ship as strong as it did, she could have found extra shelter in there if it hadn’t.Unable to move much, to stay in the bundle of meager heat she created in the blankets, Rey wondered if it would be alright to doze - or if that was the potential hypothermia talking.It’s shadow looming over her. She had been shaking cold for so long, her ball of self tucking as tight as she could. Rey couldn't tell if she had been here minutes or hours anymore, she was just so cold. She knew hallucinations were understandable at this point - but she still didn’t think that she would dream up a shirtless Ben Solo laying next to her.Maybe she would.Edit: I updated it to 2/2.





	1. Chapter 1

Rey shivered wondering how much longer until sunrise.

She was a part of a scouting party, looking for a place that was safe enough for the Resistance to setup new operations, for the time being. Only, they crashed out from engine failure, windows gone, doors blown off. The weather seemed fine enough as she waived Finn and Poe off - then night fell and it only got darker and colder as the night wore on.

Rey volunteered to stay with the ship, the crash beacon being there only chance if there wasn’t a settlement in distance, with Finn and Poe promising to find shelter for the night if they needed to, leaving Rey with the only gear for the elements they had. It was only supposed to be a quick trip.

Rey wondered if they were alright, as she could no longer contract them, from either there distance or the cold. She was thinking the latter.

A thick tent, a large floor blanket and a thermal blanket covering Rey, with her fully clothed — it just was not enough - as her teeth rattled. She wished the wind didn't run though the broken ship as strong as it did, she could have found extra shelter in there if it hadn’t.

Unable to move much, to stay in the bundle of meager heat she created in the blankets, Rey wondered if it would be alright to doze - or if that was the potential hypothermia talking.

It’s shadow looming over her. She had been shaking cold for so long, her ball of self tucking as tight as she could. Rey couldn't tell if she had been here minutes or hours anymore, she was just so cold. She knew hallucinations were understandable at this point - but she still didn’t think that she would dream up a shirtless Ben Solo laying next to her.

Maybe she would.

He needed more clothes. Her forehead wrinkled in concern as her teeth continued its chatter and she stared at his bare chest before meeting his eyes.

Head turned to look at her - he eyed her wordlessly.

Rey tugged at him mentally through the force. Fully blaming the cold for the reaction of wanting to pull him close to her. The last time they spoke - was through the connection - after the battle of Crait.

In which Ben held out his heart to her, crouching on the floor of the rebel base - pleading through the force for her to stay.

Her heart breaking as she begged him to follow her to the Falcon - to come with her - with him refusing.

She wasn’t sure she would ever see Ben again. She knew meeting Kylo Ren was inevitable. But it was clear as day - Ben - lying before her.

Kylo Ren certainly would destroy her. The last Jedi - she would be the last of his past to kill. Wouldn’t he yell and rage and fight and spit and lash out - with her first reappearance? Instantly choke her with The Force they both shared until he was able to do it with his bare hands.

Not just... laying in this utterly forsaken tundra with his blanket pooling at his hips. Dark hair disheveled from sleep but still looking soft. He had a warmth radiating from his pale skin. Toned muscles extenuating his shape. Now resting on his side, head on hand. Just staring.

His eyes were so pretty.

Rey blinked and sluggishly looked for any fresh wounds or scars on him since the throne room battle - not finding any. Wistfully she hoped he would stay like that. Before hoping he could go back to sleep to have the dark circles under his eyes fade away.

She felt the thick fog turn to static shock, slowing any thoughts to none and closing her eyes to hide from it. It hurt. She was so tired. Rey heard his soft breaths next to her and was happy she wouldn’t be alone through this. If this was going to be it.

Through the force she sent him a feeling of contentment at being alone together - before trying to crawl back the feeling of cold that automatically chased it.

Ben closed his eyes at recieving her emotions. Opening them again to simply state “Your freezing.”

“Yessss.” Rey hisses out. She doesn’t lie to him.

Rey starts to think she’s finally feeling warm and the shaking seems to have slowed - worrying her aching mind. She couldn’t be warm.

She tenses and releases her different muscles trying to bring blood and warmth to them. Her feet, ears and nose burn - from cold or heat - Rey can no longer tell. She hid her hands under her chest, protecting them if she had to defend herself. Rey thinks she’s getting even warmer. Still not believing it - crunching her eyes closed again.

When she opened them Ben was still there gazing at her. Now glassy eyed. He looked spellbound.

Maybe he was a hallucination.

Rey audibly whined.

She knew she was an open book to Ben, never learning how to lie to him. She was - however - very good at lying to herself. But it was so cold. She wasn't sure she could even lie to herself at this point.

She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t. But she was so cold and he looked so warm and she wanted.

She wanted a lot of things.

Rey unexpectedly shivered violently and in a breathy gasp everything tumbled out of her - idontwanttohurtyouitssocoldareyouokitssocoldareyousafeitsfreezingyouhurtmeitssocoldwhyareyouhereitssocoldimsohappyyourhereitssocoldsocold.

It looked like a bucket of ice water was dumped over Ben as he gasped at her overload of thoughts with eyes widening. He sat up quickly and pulled his blanket at his waist and covered it over Rey’s thermal blanket. Before slipping under the shared covers himself.

Rey gave a half hearted push back with The Force sending “It’s cold” as a warning before he reached for her.

This must be a dream Rey realized. There was no way he could be here with her, not like this. They had only touched the ghost of there fingertips together before.

Ben was here in her bed - unraveling and removing her clothes - steam drifting off his skin into the air, showing a visible temperature change. Fog drifting from his nose with his exhales.

Showing Rey that he might actually be here. With her.

Rey thought she would be mortified at this man undressing her but she was limp - her head hurt and she was warm and was so glad he was ridding her of extra layers.

He mumbled, as if the words he spoke would explain his shaking hands, “Skin to skin contact brings heat the quickest. Your core temperature needs to be raised. Your freezing.”

He stoppped at her bindings of her chest, but Rey no longer think. She didn’t know what was happening. Where was she? Why was Ben here?

Ben pulled her tight against him, with a hiss at the cold of her skin meeting his. He pulled her up on his chest, turning to bring her off the ground and him on his back, her legs coming between his own. Blankets shifted and tucked tight around them and pulled high over her cheekbone to give her the most coverage.

Rey started to shiver and would cry in frustration if she could, especially as Ben started to shake as well. Something wasn’t right. What was happening?

She felt Ben shift and his hands snake under her open top garments resting on the flesh of her back pressing only slightly before moving to try and warm another cold spot on her back.

He was being gentle and Rey was confused. She thought she was warm. But she knew something was wrong. Then, all of a sudden, the wind was knocked out of her because her body realized it was cold. Very very cold. She gasped as if drowning and struggled for breath for a minute before shuddering and clenching her teeth as the cold settled back in.

It took time, but Rey eventually was able to breathe again. Only feeling the warm pillow against her and the freezing cold. A cough had Rey realize, her pillow was actually Ben and it caused her to send a wave of embarrassment. She felt weak, limp and ever so small.

Surprisingly - she received a gentle tug back - letting her let go of the embarrassment.

Ben kept his hands moving gently seeking cold spots, legs holding Rey’s close. Chest to chest, let Rey steal as much of his body heat as he could provide. It felt like hours before Rey stopped shaking violently. A chatter or shake still came unprompted but Rey started to feel like a person again. The sharp static in her brain fading to thick fog.

Laying on Bens chest, she realized without her shaking, she was able to lie her ear flat on his chest and listen. Hearing the stable thrumming of his heart, with his breath filling his lungs - which in turn raised her full form with each inhale. What a soothing sound Rey thought - realizing - with her brain coming back on line - that she had never been so close to another to experience this before.

Fully emersed, Rey listened as it pulled her into dozing. Her sending a warm happy thought of love to Ben, surely dreaming that she would ever do such a thing.

But she must have.

Bens walls fell and rushing out was his own collection of of overwhelming thoughts reached Rey, areyouokiwantyoutobeokwhyisitsocoldwhereareyouareyousafeyouhurtmewillyoubeokyoursosoftpleasebeokdonthurtmeineedyoutobeok.

Rey reached up with her frozen until now arms and encircled Ben.

She felt sleep pull at her again - a hum and a pull being sent through and a matching hum and pull back.

“Stay awake.” Ben whispered.

Rey heard the rumble and the echo of his voice in his chest. Rey wondered if he would speak more as a tremor ran through her again. It was so cold.

“When are they coming back for you?” Ben asked. Distaste rolling off of him.

Rey sent back a noncommittal feeling as she instead tried keeping her eyes open. Feeling every blink.

Ben snickered, the feeling of distaste grew.

Rey sent her embodiment of patience back at him - as she took a very long blink.

The wind picked up to a howl and Ben sighed. Maybe talking would keep her awake.

“I thought the connection would be severed after Snoke’s death.” Ben whispered.

Rey sent an interested feeling across the connection.

“I now know - It wasn’t him who connected us. He lied. He didn’t know what connected us, just that we were, and tried to take credit for it. But this is something else. It’s more powerful than him.” Pausing. Weighing his next admission.

“It was you.” Ben gazed to Rey’s head, lying comfortably on his chest.

“I reached into your mind and you fought me back and it must have been then. You... ....maybe it was me. I didn’t want to let go of someone who matched me so equally.” Ben found himself admitting things he wouldn’t normally, even to himself, in this cold empty tundra with someone so meaningful in his arms.

Rey hummed and pulled at Ben in there connection - hearing but not - his admissions. The cold and the heat and the echoing rumbles and breaths and the reassuring heartbeat was what drifted her away.

“Rey?” Ben whispered feeling her consciousness slip to unconscious. “Rey. You have to stay awake. Rey!” Ben started to shake Rey lightly, seeing her head roll. He let himself panic for only a minute - knowing that was no good for either of them.

He looked in his surroundings. There wasn’t anything he could grab that would give any more warmth. He didn’t dare let her go - to reach for something and have the connection break. He wondered if he was strong enough to pull her into his surroundings - if that was even possible. Him interacting with her - touching her - was mystifying alone.

He could try. He tried to envisioning Rey materializing in his actual bed, with a blush overcoming him, and pulled through the force harshly.

It did nothing - but make Rey let out a whine in her sleep and a mental pain stab him quickly.

Ben tried looking around in Rey’s surroundings. If he focused, really focused, with Rey sleeping and shaking, he had nothing else - he could see darken outlines of her surroundings. Which were sparse to empty. No help there either.

He rubbed Rey’s back. Trying to comfort himself through comforting her. All he could do would be to stay awake for her - not knowing if the connection would break if he fell asleep.

Ben tried to focus on the bond; trying to see if there was anything more he could do. He just felt it grow stronger the more it remained open and active. It seemed too often there connection was broken by an outsider.

For once Ben wished there would be a similar interruption but instead the cold continued to grow with every passing minute.

Ben started clenching his teeth as the chattering started - the shaking started long ago.

He wished Rey had answered him. Told him where she was. He would have been here - actually here - long ago.

He would bringing her piles of furs - completely surrounded and covered until finally warm - she would finally emerge - to call to him to join her - reaching a hand out - open and vulnerable and surrounded by his furs - he would be on both his knees for her. His Venus in Furs.

His head jerked up from drifting to the side, daydreaming, he was starting to nod off.

He focused on staying awake. His hands were numb but he kept moving them to work any heat into Rey.

Then he heard it. The noise of a vehicle.

His thoughts turned dark. Wondering if this was a scavenger or something looking to rob or kill the incapacitated. Ben didn’t think he could defend Rey through the force. But if he had to. He would try.

Voices now - male voices - calling “Rey! Rey!” Her companions. Good.

The tent zippered. He would be ripped from her in moments now. “Rey!”

A man poked his head in and stared.

Ben didn’t know why the connection was not broken, but the man, he looked at Ben - as if could see him. He couldn’t possibly see him. Could he?

“Rey?” The man asked again - still looking like he was looking at Ben.

Ben closed his eyes to hide from the gaze.

Opening then again to see only his bedroom on the Supremacy.

His arms empty and his blanket gone.

He covered his eyes with his arm, as another chill went through him.

~*~

Rey awoke in the cabin of a transport with piles of blankets on her and the heat blasting - she felt pins and needles instantly on every patch of skin - cotton was in her mouth and mind.

She felt in the back of her mind a wave of relief wash over her from far away. She hummed and amplified it back.

Poe was driving with Finn holding Rey in place "Rey! Thank The Force that your awake!". Rey nodded, trying to focus on her companions.

“We were lucky the residents are sympathic to the Resistance. But we crashed at a bad time. I know. I know.” Poe put his hands up.

“They have a week of winter. Crazy cold then mild till the next winter. It just started today.” Finn continued to explain, as Rey shuttered and felt the cotton loosen into fog.

“Rey - I have to ask." Poe paused trying to decide if he should mention it. "When I first looked in the tent - it looked like there was someone with you.” Poe asked with interest.

Rey scrunched her face in confusion - and it was true - but for a different reason than Poe thought - Ben shouldn’t be able to have been seen. “I didn't see anyone.” Finn cut in, rolling his eyes.

Poe nodded continuing. “They were there - then they were gone - was there someone with you? Do you know who it was?”

Rey opened her mouth. Closed it. Then opened it again. “Strange.” She got out.

“It's not strange, you were just seeing things Poe. Strange is how we have this blanket from the Supremacy." Finn stated more than happy to ignore Finn's crazy story, pulling at one of the blankets covering Rey.

Rey spoke up, “I stole it. I was cold.” She agreed to herself it wasn’t a lie.

“Oh, Alright. I know it's hard to come by fabric sometimes. I just didn’t know we had it. Good you did though, it must have helped.” Finn nodded with a smile.

Rey easily agreed, “It did.”

“I’m glad your back with us.” Poe patted the blankets and Rey said a guinuine “Thanks.” Before sinking deeper into the covers.

Rey wasent sure if they could speak to each other, through The Force at such a distance, beyond emotions, but she was so tired, she just let herself try, sending a “Sorry I stole your blanket.”

Quickly, Ben sent back a short “Keep it.”

Rey nodded, not realizing, until she realized - he couldn’t see her nodding. Rey continued her mental rambling. “I’m going to make a cloak out of it. I’ll just hide the Supremacy's crest by wearing it inside out.” Rey sent across.

Pride and Possession crashed over her through the connection.

She hummed and pulled through the force - feeling a pull and a hum back - then Rey drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Kylo Ren knew he had to sleep eventually.

The looming feeling that he was one bad move from having mutiny end his tenure - was hard to sleep with. So he tossed and turned.

About to toss again, he locks eyes with Rey curled in his bed. Her face crunched and her teeth chattered, as she eyed him up.

He didn’t know what to say. What to do.

The last time they spoke through the bond, was after the battle of Crait.

He rolled Han Solo’s golden dice in his hands, an echo of the feeling of having a family washed over him and he was met with Rey’s gaze.

Kylo saw her as a powerful Empress, the two of them undefeatable.

Ben admits, holding his father’s dice - he truly begged for her to stay - because deep in the blackness of his heart he thought he loved her. He thought maybe she could love him too, in time.

Rey had ignored his pleading, instead asking him to follow her to that piece of junk Falcon. Back to be sentenced to death by the Resistance that General Organa loved so much. He refused and felt what he thought was Rey’s despair at failing her mission.

Rey – here and now - tugged at him mentally through the force. Pulling him out of his dark thought spiral. She was just staring at him.

Did she not want to kill him? He thought she would learn from her mistake of leaving him alive in the throne room. He would have to hunt her - hunt the Resistance - until the First Order was all that was left. Why was she not attacking? He was vulnerable within arm’s reach, with not even a shirt for protection.

He didn’t understand it. So he ignored it and just drank her in.

Her eyes were so pretty.

He felt the surprising emotion of contentment come from Rey with a chaser of her feeling cold.

He closed his eyes at feeling her contentment; trying to fight the echoing feeling he himself felt and instead focused on her secondary feeling - being cold.

He simply stated “Your freezing.”

“Yessss” Rey hisses out.

He doesn’t like how she sounds. She’s still shaking and she’s been closing her eyes as if in pain - but he doesn’t feel it. He can’t see anything around her, besides some blankets she’s hiding in. They wouldn’t leave there precious Jedi somewhere to freeze. She was just cold and pale and chattering and that blanket was too thin... A funny feeling settled in his chest and he didn’t like it.

He heard a whine and couldn’t tell if he or she made it.

It was starting to feel like torture. Watching this beautiful woman shiver and shake without him being able to do anything.

Rey gasped and he was overcome by her tumbling of thoughts “idontwanttohurtyouitssocoldareyouokitssocoldareyousafeitsfreezingyouhurtmeitssocoldwhyareyouhereitssocoldimsohappyyourhereitssocoldsocold.”

He had to do something. Right now.

She was more than just cold, she was deathly cold and he couldn’t let her freeze to death in front of his eyes when he heard her. When he wanted.

He wanted a lot of things.

Sitting up quickly and pulled his blanket at his waist and believed he could cover his blanket over Rey’s thermal blanket. He wanted to do it. He could do it.

Then he did.

It wasn’t enough. She was too cold. He slipped under the shared covers before noticing he somehow was able to.

Rey gave a halfhearted push back with the force sending “It’s cold” as a warning before he reached for her.

He knew it was cold, she didn’t have to tell him that. She would be freezing. Ben pushed down his feelings of worry as he noticed she looked confused.

Oddly, he thought of his Uncle Luke’s story of staying warm in a freshly killed tauntaun to survive the cold.... which… isn’t any help. The only thing he could provide was his own body heat. He saw the steam that lifted off of his skin - where in the universe was she?

If he could get her core warmer, she might make it through this. He told her as such.

His hands shook as he started undressing her - he would lie if he said he hadn’t imagined this. His hands touching her frozen skin only brought back the worry, destroying any potential lust at the action.

He stopped at her bindings of her chest - there was enough exposed skin - and he wouldn’t cross that line without her consent.

A whisper from Rey caught his attention, “Where am I? Ben? Why are you here?” Confusion dotting her features.

Ben pulled her tight against him, with a hiss at the cold of her skin meeting his. He pulled her up on his chest, turning to bring her off the ground and his back instead on the cold ground, her legs coming between his own. Blankets shifted and tucked tight around them and pulled high over her cheekbone to give her the most coverage.

Ben would admit he was scared now. He may be too late. She had stopped shaking and she didn’t know where she was. He couldn’t warm her too quickly now either or else she could have a stroke or a heart attack in his arms.

He started to shake with fear. He didn’t want to be alone. He thought he did, but as the lights waved goodbye and voices in The Force became more and more silent - it was now just him and her. He felt her pain, her misfortune and even her happiness and joy. Emotions he had forgotten how they felt. She called him ‘Ben’ as if it was a secret name just for them - and it sounded so right on her tongue. She didn’t fear him. She didn’t want to kill him. If her light, her smile, her voice, left him as well - he knew he would finally have the strength to end his miserable life.

Ben placed his hands under her open top garments resting on the flesh of her back, and pressed only slightly before moving to try and warm another cold spot on her back. The reassuring movements giving him the slightest bit of relief that she was still alive in his arms.

Then, all of a sudden, the wind was knocked out of Rey and she gasped as if drowning and struggled in his arms. He unconsciously held his breath as she struggled. Ben near gasping for air himself, when she finally got a deep breath in. She shuddered and a chatter of her teeth returned.

Ben tried to calm and center himself, to bring his short breaths into longer, stronger ones - hoping that her struggle then, would be the toughest part of this.

It took time but Rey eventually sent him a wave of embarrassment which he dismissed immediately, giving a gentle tug through there connection to let her know he received it.

Ben kept his hands moving gently seeking cold spots, legs holding Rey’s close. Chest to chest, let Rey steal as much of his body heat as he could provide.

It felt like hours before Rey stopped shaking violently. Ben finally let himself relax a bit; knowing that Rey was finally, genuinely, warming up. He felt her exhale her still cold breaths on his chest but it reassured him that she was still with him. He didn’t know what he would do without her.

It was in that moment, Ben was overwhelmed by Rey’s feeling of love.

It was too much. He wouldn’t - couldn’t - dream that she actually loved him... she was delusional, surely.

But the shock overwhelmed him and he accidentally sent his unfiltered thoughts to Rey: areyouokiwantyoutobeokwhyisitsocoldwhereareyouareyousafeyouhurtmewillyoubeokyoursosoftpleasebeokdonthurtmeineedyoutobeok.

Rey reached up with her frozen until now arms and encircled Ben. It was a small moment. But it was one that Ben treasured.

He felt sleep pull at her again - sending him a hum and a pull to check that he was still there.

He couldn’t resist sending a mimicking hum and pull, but still whispered audibly a strong “Stay Awake.”

Rey didn’t respond to his command - of course she was too stubborn to listen to him even now. Maybe he could keep her awake through talking.

“When are they coming back for you?” Ben asked. Letting the distaste rolling off him.

He felt a noncommittal feeling return, which he snickered at. The Resistance has the most important person in the galaxy and they leave her to freeze. He wanted to destroy them for this alone - how dare they.

Rey’s curated patience rolled across him. She was very good at waiting. He sighed. He knew she was.

The wind picked up to a howl. He thought he’d keep trying to get her to talk. Settling on the bond, “I thought the connection would be severed after Snoke’s death.” Ben whispered.

The interested emotion from Rey reached him and had him continue.

“I now know - It wasn’t him who connected us. He lied. He didn’t know what connected us, just that we were, and tried to take credit for it. But this is something else. It’s more powerful than him.” Pausing. Weighing his next admission.

“It was you.” Ben gazed to Rey’s head, lying comfortably on his chest.

“I reached into your mind and you fought me back and it must have been then. You... ....maybe it was me. I didn’t want to let go of someone who matched me so equally.” Ben found himself admitting things he wouldn’t normally, even to himself, in this cold empty tundra with someone so meaningful in his arms.

Rey hummed and pulled at Ben in there connection - she heard him and just accepted it. Accepted him. He was underserving of it.

He couldn’t focus on it for too long, as he felt Rey slip from consciousness slip to unconscious “Rey? Rey. You have to stay awake. Rey!” Ben started to shake Rey lightly, seeing her head roll.

He let himself panic for only a minute - knowing that was no good for either of them.

He looked in his surroundings. There wasn’t anything he could grab that would give any more warmth. He didn’t dare let her go - to reach for something and have the connection break.

He wondered if he was strong enough to pull her into his surroundings - if that was even possible. Him interacting with her - touching her - was mystifying alone.

He could try. He tried to envisioning Rey materializing in his actual bed, with a blush overcoming him, and pulled through the force harshly.

It did nothing but make Rey let out a whine in her sleep and a mental pain stab him quickly.

Ben tried looking around in Rey’s surroundings. If he focused, really focused, with Rey sleeping and shaking, he had nothing else - he could see darken outlines of her surroundings. Which were sparse to empty. No help there either.

He rubbed Rey’s back. Trying to comfort himself through comforting her.

All he could do would be to stay awake for her - not knowing if the connection would break if he fell asleep.

Ben tried to focus on the bond; trying to see if there was anything more he could do. Rather than just to feel it grow stronger the more it remained open and active. It seemed too often there connection was broken by an outsider.

For once Ben wished there would be a similar interruption.

But instead the cold continued to grow with every passing minute.

Ben started clenching his teeth as the chattering started - the shaking started long ago.

He wished Rey had answered him. Told him where she was. He would have been here - actually here - long ago.

He would bringing her piles of furs - completely surrounded and covered until finally warm - she would finally emerge - to call to him to join her - reaching a hand out - open and vulnerable and surrounded by his furs - he would be on both his knees for her. His Venus in Furs.

His head jerked up from drifting to the side, daydreaming, he was starting to nod off.

He focused on staying awake. His hands were numb but he kept moving them to work any heat into Rey.

Then he heard it. The noise of a vehicle.

His thoughts turned dark. Wondering if this was a scavenger or something looking to rob or kill the incapacitated.

Ben didn’t think he could defend Rey through the force. But if he had to. He would try.

Voices now - male voices - calling “Rey! Rey!”

Her companions. Good.

The tent zippered. He would be ripped from her in moments now. “Rey!”

A man poked his head in and stared.

Ben didn’t know why the connection was not broken. But the man. He looked at Ben as if could see him. He couldn’t possibly see him. Could he?

“Rey?” The man asked again - still looking like he was looking at Ben.

Ben closed his eyes to hide from the gaze.

Opening then again to see only his bedroom.

His arms empty and his blanket gone.

He covered his eyes with his arm as another chill went through him.

~*~

He got out of his bed and headed to the refresher, hoping the warm water could bring him relief from the chill.

He felt Rey unconscious, but still in The Force, so he tried not to think further on it – knowing he had to rely on her companions to help her now.

The shock of the hot water was surprising, being colder than he thought and simply waited until his bones, muscles and skin warmed. Eventually, he felt Rey awaken, warmer as well. He easily sent her a feeling of relief, with her instantly echoing it back at him.

Finally warm, he went about his normal shower routine, until he was startled by her voice reaching him - “Sorry I stole your blanket.” Quickly, in disbelief, Ben attempted to respond, sending back a short “Keep it.” Washing the cleaner out of his hair, trying to fathom how they were communicating. Rey’s voice continued with ease, “I’m going to make a cloak out of it. I’ll just hide the Supremacy’s crest by wearing it inside out.” Rey sent across.

In his mind’s eye, he could see Rey, wearing his blanket as a cloak. It would keep her warm, and he hoped protected and he felt himself send a feeling of possession over the connection – knowing, but lying to himself, that it was directed at the item and not her.

Rey simply hummed and pulled through the connection, with him unable to stop from doing the same, as he felt her softly fall asleep.

He got out of the shower and the missing blanket instantly haunted him. He could still imagine her, the next time they meet, being enveloped in the blanket. Ben wondered if at that point if it would smell more like him or her. He would easily have that cloak become a blanket again for both of them to be on top of it, finally warm in his arms and he would slowly unravel…

He turned back to the refresher – it would be a cold one this time.


End file.
